The Authentication Office of the NC Department of the Secretary of State is responsible
for providing authentication services on North Carolina documents that will be used
in foreign countries. The NC Authentication Office issues apostilles, authentications
and certificates for a variety of NC documents, including: birth certificates, marriage
certificates, statements of marital status, articles of incorporation, corporate
bylaws, certificates of merger, powers of attorney, patent applications, trademarks,
diplomas, school transcripts, deeds, and assignments of interest.

Types of Certifications

Apostille - An "apostille" is a form of authentication issued to documents for use
in countries that participate in the 1961 Hague Convention. A list of countries
that accept apostilles is provided by the Hague Conference on International Law
and is available
here.

Authentication or Certification - If the country of intended use does not participate
in the Hague Convention, documents being sent to that country can be "authenticated"
or "certified".

This website is provided to the public as a part of the Secretary of State Knowledge Base (SOSKB) system. Version: 8932